Carter County, Missouri

Founding: 1859
Parent counties: Ripley and Shannon

Namesake: Zimri Carter, local settler
Seat: Van Buren (1859–)

Land area: 507 square miles

Population (2020): 5,202

Population (historic): 1,235 (1860); 2,168 (1880); 6,706 (1900); 7,482 (1920); 5,503 (1930)

Periods of population growth: pre-1860–1900; 1910s; 1930s; 1970–2010

Subdivisions: Three cities; two CDPs; five townships

National Register listings: 31

Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 170 (5.2%)
Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 14.8%
Pre-1860 housing survival rate (1940): 0.5%

Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 16.1%

Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 18.4%

Average farmhouse value (1930): $414
Average outbuilding value (1930): $300

Average farmhouse size (1940): 3.9 rooms
Number of farms (1920): 608
Average farm size (1920): 49.1 acres
Sources of settlement: Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, and Arkansas

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Van Buren

Namesake: Martin Van Buren, U.S. president

Founding: 1833 (platting); 1834 (post office); 1867 (replatting)

Population (2020): 747

Population (historic): 345 (1930)

Periods of population growth: pre-1930–1950; 1960–1980
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 18 (4%)

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